The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday released film director Doze Niu (鈕承澤) on NT$200,000 (US$6,660) bail after questioning him over an incident in which he allegedly allowed a Chinese citizen to use a fake ID card to enter a naval base in Greater Kaohsiung during a location-scouting trip.
Niu and 11 others were summoned for questioning yesterday, Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office spokeswoman Lu Hsing-ling (呂幸玲) said.
The director was summoned on suspicion that he violated the Vital Area Regulations (要塞堡壘地帶法) and committed forgery, while the other 11 were summoned as witnesses, Lu said, adding that the others were released after questioning.
Kaohsiung prosecutors said Niu admitted to and apologized for letting Chinese cinematographer Cao Yu (曹郁), who was hired by Niu to work on the film Military Paradise, use a Taiwanese national identification card to gain admission to the base.
Cao was not summoned by prosecutors.
The district prosecutors’ office launched the investigation after the Ministry of National Defense filed a lawsuit against Niu and Cao.
According to the navy, Niu and his production team visited the Zuoying (左營) naval base on June 1 to scout for locations for his new film. The group allegedly violated a regulation forbidding Chinese nationals from entering military facilities in Taiwan.
Military security officers at the base checked Cao’s ID, but later discovered that it was false.
The ministry has withdrawn its support for the film and will no longer allow Niu’s film crew access to Taiwanese military bases or ships.
Additional reporting by CNA
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